Switch-operating device



R. LAURIN.-

swncu OPERATING DEVICE. APPLQCATION FIL ED JULY 2!.1917.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4, viewing the same from the under side and illustrating the manner of locking the device.

' Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View, similar to Fig. 5, illustrating the manner in which the lock is bent when a car accidentally passes through the switch in the direction inclicated by the featheredarrow in Fig. 1.

F ig..7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4; and V Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 88 of Fig. l. i

Referring to the drawings, 10 and 11 designate railroad rails which are permanently secured to cross ties 12 and which constitute a portion of the main track. 13, 14 designate movable rails constituting a switch adapted to co'ciperate with the permanent rails in a manner well understood by mechanics familiar with railway switch construction. The movable rails are slidably supported on tie plates 15 in the usual manner and are held in spaced relation with respect to each other by means of the spacing bars 16, 16. The spacing bars are secured to attaching lugs 17, 17 consisting of members having rail base engaging jaws 18 securedto the movable rails and provided with tongues or guides 19 which extend under the base flange of the permanent rails 10 and 11.,

These tongues hold the movable rails down against the tie plates 15 when the switch is being moved to either its open or closed position.

- In connection with the form of operating device illustrated in the drawings, I preferably provide astrong connectionbetween the switch and operating device so as to prevent said connection from being bent or broken in a manner to make the switch operating device inoperative. With this view in mind I have provided the attaching lug 17 with a connecting rod 20, formed so as .to avoid any sharp bends which would likely weaken the same and formed at one 611Cl" ltl1 a clevis 20 to provide suitable means for flexibly connecting said rod with the operating device. The operating device'consists of a base member 21' adapted to be secured to the outer end of the ties 22, 22 and formed with suitable guideways 23 for a slide 24 which is connected with the connecting rod 20. The top side of the slide 24 is provided with spaced lugs 25, 26 which engage the cam surfaces 27, 28, respectively, of a spiralshaped cam 29. Thecam 29 is rotatably supported between upstanding webs 30', 31

on the base 21 by means of the-bolt 32 and is preferably provided with a. wide hub 33 whlch bears against the inner surfaces of operative engagement with the vertical.

shoulders of the lugs 37, 38, respectively. The lugs 37, 38 are formed on the under side'of the slide 24 so as to prevent the collection of foreign matter, such, for example, as snow and ice, from interfering with the proper operation of the latch bars 36. These lugs are also formed with tapered surfaces 39, 40 to permit the latch bars to.

ride over the lugs when the slide 24 is moved from one position to another. The desired adjustment of the switch may be effected by properly positioning the washers 41' on the latch bar pivots 42,43, so that the latch bars will not drop into their respective operative positions until the movable rails 13, 14 have been drawn tightly against the rails of themain track in a manner to completely close or open the switch, as the case maybe. A visual signal 44 is rigidly secured to a staff- 45 which is supported in a vertical position in abearing 46 A pin 47 is screwed into the lower portion of the staff 45 and extends through a spiral slot '48 formed in the bearing 46. Bythis construc tion, any vertical movement of the stafi 45' will impart a rotational movement .to the signal 44and thereby move the same to the signaling: position corresponding to the actual position of the switch. 49 designates a cam rigidly secured to the slide 24 so as to move therewith and slidingly engage the lower end of the staff 45 so as to elevate the same to the position indicated in Fig.- 8 of the drawings; 'This positionis intended to indicate that the switch is closed. When the slide 24 is'moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 8, the stafi' 45 and signal 44 will be lowered by the action of gravity and assume a signaling position indicating that the switch is open.

When it is desired tomove the switch from the closed position shown in Fig. 1 to the open position, the latch bar 35 is raised to the dotted line position indicated in Fig. 2 and the operating handle 34 turned to the position indicated in dotted lineson Fig. 1. The rotational movement imparted to the cam 29 causes the slide 24 to be moved in the direction indicated by the feathered arrows in Figs. 4, 5 and 8. During such movement of theslide 24 the inclined sur face 40 of lug 38will tilt the pivoted latch bar When the slide24has moved the required distance to completely open. the switch, the latch bar36? will drop=todts loch+ ingposition adj acent; the. vertical shoulder of said lug 38. The movement of theslide 24 and: cam 49 duringitheopening opera? tion of the switch causes the visual signal to; be operated. in the manner above set forth so aswtox indicatesthe: open position of the switch. The -spiral surfaces 27, 28 of.

the cam 2.9 am:- formedwitha pitch sufficient toipermit the handle 3% tube automatically moved to the: dotted linei position of Fig.- 1" when suflicient, force? is 1 imparted to the slide 24,, such as wouldibethecasegif theswitch shouldbe accidentally forced; from one positionito another; Inorder tovpermit a= free sliding movement. of the slide 24(- so as to will bend to the position shown in Fig. 6.

By permitting-the free movement of the slide 2 L when the switch is accidentally moved the visual signal 44 wills, be automatically change'dto indicate the actual position and the switch-locked in its assumed position: insubstantially' the same manner as: when the device is operated by hand. When the switch is 'operateda in a manner to cause either'of-the-latch:bars 35 or 36 to be bent, as above described, the bent portion of the latch wills be wedged. between one of the lugs onthe. under side'o-f the slide 24 and the lug; 21 ontheunder side on the baseQL in a, manner which will: make it difficult to return the switchto-itsformer position without first removing the bentilatclr bar;

I claim 2 It. A device, for operating a railway switch, comprising a slide; a cam for oper atingjsald shde, means for connecting said slidetosaid: switch, and yieldable locking means associated with said: slide adapted to be bent to lock said switch in its open or closed. position when the switch has been automatically moved from one position to another;

2. A device for operating a railway:

switch, comprising; a slide, a cam for operating said; slide, means for connecting said slide to said switch, and: gravity operated means associated with said slide for locking said switch in: its open orclosed position;

3'. deviceffbr operating a railway switch, comprising a slide, a: cam for operating said slide, means for connecting said slide to said? switch, and gravity operated yieldable means associated with said slide for locking said switch in its open or closed position. i

4:. A device for operating a railway switch, comprising a slide, a cam for opera ng said Slide means for conn cti g s d slideto said switch, and gravity operated means engaging the underside ofsaidslide to lock said switchin itsopen or closed position,

5. A' device for operating a railway switch, comprising a slide, a cam for operating said slide, means for connecting said slide with said switch, and gravity operated yieldable means engaging-the under side of said slide to lock said switch in its open or closed position.

6. A device for operating a railway switch, comprising a slide provided with spaced lugs, a: cam: operatively engaging said: lugs adapted to oscillate said slide, means for connecting said. slide to said switch, and gravity operated means engaging the under side of: said slide to lock said switch in its open position.

7. A device for operating a railway switch, comprising a slide provided with spaced lugs on the topsideand with spaced abutments on the under side thereof, means connecting said slide with said switch, a spiral cam operatively engaging the spaced lugs on said slideto movethe same to open and close said switch, and gravity operated latclr bars adapted to cooper-ate with the spaced abutments on the under side of said slide to lock the switch in open or closed position as desired.

8; In. a device for operating a railway switch, the combination with movable railroad rails constituting a switch, of a slide provided with spaced. abutmentson the under side thereof, means for connecting said switch with said slide, means for oscillating said slide, latch bars adapted tmengage said abutments to lock said switch: in its operative position, and means associated with said latch bars for effecting an adjustment of'said switch.

9. In a device for operating a railway switch, the combination with movable rail road rails constituting a switch, of a slide provided with spaced abutmentson the under side thereof, means for connecting said switch: with said slide, means for oscillating saidslide, gravity operated) latch bars adapted to engage said abutments to lock said switch in its operative position, and means associated with said latch bars for effecting an adjustment-of said switch. 7

10. In a device for operating a railway:

switch, the combination with movable rail road rails constituting a switch, of a slide, means connecting SELlCli slide wlth said switch,

means for operating said slide so as toopen 11; In a device for Operating a railway switch, the combination with movable railroad rails constituting a switch, of a slide, means connecting said slide with said switch,

means for operating said slide so as to open ed to be bent should the switch be moved from one position to another without said bars being released from their locking posi tion.

13. In a device for operating a railway switch, the combination with movable railroad rails constituting a switch, of means for opening and closing said switch com prising a slide, a visual signal, a cam adapt ed to slidingly engage said signal to operate the same, and manually releasable, gravity operated latch bars for locking said switch in its open or closed position; said latch bars being adapted to be bent, should the switch be moved from one position to another, without said bars being released from their locking position.

1 1. In a device for operating a railway switch, the combination with movable railroad rails constituting a switch, of means for openingand closing said switch comprising a slide a visual signal, a cam carried by said sl de and adapted to slidingly engage said signal to operate the same, and manually releasable, gravity operated latch bars for locking said switch in its open or closed position; said latch bars being adapted to be bent, should the switch be moved from one position to another, without said bars being released from their locking position.

15. In a device foroperating a railway switch, the combination with movable railroad rails constituting a switch, of means comprising a slide for opening and closing said switch, a visual signal for indicating the position of said switch, comprising a staii, a support formed with a cam slot and adapted to support said staii in a vertical position, a pin secured to said stafi and extending into said cam slot whereby the ver-' tical movement of said stait causes the same to rotate, and means "for operating said sig nal comprising a cam on said slide adapted to slidingly engage the lower end of said staff.

16. In a device for operating a railway switch, the combination with movable railroad rails constituting a switch, of means comprising a slide for opening and closing said switch, a visual signal for indicating the position of said switch, comprising a staiif, a support formed with a cam slot and adaptedto support said staff in a vertical position, a pin secured to said 'stafi andextending into said cam slot whereby the vertical movement of said stail causes the same to rotate, and means for operating said signal simultaneously with the operation of said switch comprising a cam on said slide adapted to slidingly engage the lower end of said staff.

17. A device for operating a railway switch, the combination with movable railroad rails constituting a switch, of means comprising a slide for opening and closing said switch, a visual signal for indicating the position of said switch comprising a staff, a support formed with a cam slot and adapted to supportsaid staff in a vertical position; a pin secured to said stat? and extending into said cam slot whereby the vertical movement of said stafi causes the same the position of said switch comprising a:

105" adapted to support said staff-in a vertical staff, a support formed with a cam'slot and position, a pin secured to said staff and ex tending into said cam slot whereby the vertical movement of said staff causes the same 7 to rotate, means for operating said signal simultaneously with the operation of said switch comprising a cam onsaid slide adapted to slidingly engage the lower end of said staff, and gravity operated means engaging the under side of said slide to lock said switch and signal in theiroperative positions. 1

ROBERT LAURIN. 

